10 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Headaches

To some people headaches are a very trivial matter. However, to others headaches cause them a significant amount of discomfort, interrupting daily activities and quality of life. Of course, several medications exist specifically marketed to being able to treat headaches, and while they may be quite effective for this purpose, it is far from ideal to use them often.

Unknown to many, there are effective natural remedies that can help to relieve the discomfort associated with headaches, and most importantly are extremely safe. Here are some of the most effective natural remedies to get rid of headaches; some of which you have in your home right now and can start making use of.

1. Water

Water should not even be considered a natural remedy, but the fact of the matter is, it is so important to our overall health that just consuming what you should have been all along often times deliver benefits that qualify it as a remedy, since it can alleviate symptoms of many conditions.

Dehydration is not only dangerous, but is the leading cause of death in children of the developing world. With regard to headaches, persons that display varying levels of dehydration are much more likely to experience migraines or tension headaches, as insufficient water intake can contribute to irritability, disrupted neurotransmitter levels and impaired brain function to name a few.

Often times, drinking a bit of water can help to rectify headaches if you are guilty of constantly failing to meet your water intake requirements. Of course, the relief will not be immediate but may take between 30 minutes and three hours to manifest.

2. White Willow Bark

White willow bark is essentially nature’s aspirin, containing compounds known as salicylates, which is the active compound responsible for many of aspirin’s pain relieving properties. In fact, prior to synthetic aspirin having been developed, the bark of the white willow tree was the source of salicin, one of the most popular pain relievers of the time.

Today, white willow bark can be made into teas, but the roots of the plants are also used for this purpose. Just keep in mind that white willow bark is also a potent blood thinner, so use cautiously with other medications or supplements.

3. Avocados

It is well known that avocados are good for you owing to their abundance of beneficial unsaturated fats, and while these nutrients may help to reduce the intensity of headaches, what makes avocados standout is their magnesium content.

In particular, many headaches are believed to be due to the excessive dilation of blood vessels under the scalp. While magnesium is not a vasoconstrictor, it does assist with regulation of blood vessel tone, so that the pressure exerted from the dilated vessels is not present.

In fact, migraines are strongly associated with diets that are low in magnesium, and increasing consumption of this mineral has been found to reduce severity and frequency of migraine headaches. A very simple remedy to take advantage of if you suffer from chronic headaches.

4. Lavender Oil

Stress headaches and migraines are becoming more and more commonplace owing to the ever-increasing stress burden we place on ourselves. While remedies that address pain will most likely rectify your headache, sometimes a better management practice is to tackle the underlying cause, such as stress in this case.

Lavender essential oil massaged on to the forehead or steeped in hot water and allowed to diffuse is very effective in helping to relieve headaches in as little as 15 minutes. Lavender oil promotes relaxation and has anti-anxiety properties which can relieve your headache without the need for analgesics of other consumables. Excellent for use before bed when a little drowsiness and relaxation is unlikely to bother you.

5. Mustard Foot Soak

One of the more uncommon remedies for treating headaches, a warm water foot soak with added ground mustard powder is very effective for helping to relieve tension headaches. To make, soak your feet in a bucket of tolerably hot water, to which a tablespoon of ground mustard powder is added. The heat from the water and mustard powder combination stimulates blood flow so that dilated vessels under the scalp are drawn downwards to the feet.

Enhancing blood flowing this way relieves pain and inflammation, helping to blunt the discomfort experienced from the headache.

6. Mentholated Ointments And Creams

Application of menthol around the neck and sparingly to areas of the head can help to blunt pain transmission by the nerves, in turn reducing the discomfort felt from a headache. The cooling sensation of menthol is also said to help relieve the throbbing pain associated with tension headaches, and is a popular remedy used by alternative medical practitioners.

7. Ginger

Ginger is one of the most multifunctional herbs on the planet today, being very useful in the management of headaches as well. Ginger possesses mild analgesic actions, in conjunction to pronounced anti-inflammatory and antiemetic properties.

Though not extremely potent, by tackling multiple factors that can contribute to headaches to some extent, ginger is said to possess a potency comparable to the prescription medication sumatriptan used for the management of migraines.

8. Exercise

If you’ve tried exercising with a headache before, you have probably noticed that it is not pleasant. At least not immediately. However, as your exercise session goes on and concludes, the surge of endorphins released is said to have a pronounced effect on your perception of pain caused by headaches.

The runners high, a well-known scenario experienced by long-distance runners is explained by a massive release of endorphins that blunts pain so much that the athletes do not even realize they may have injuries until this effect has worn off several hours later.

9. Feverfew

A tea made from feverfew flowers, which are said to resemble daisies, have been used traditionally for the management of pain, and headaches in particular for a number of centuries.

It is said to help relieve migraines and other headaches by preventing the inflammatory cascade that leads to pain transmission. Sipping feverfew tea while soaking your feet in the warm mustard soak is set to work exceptionally well for relieving headaches.

10. Lifestyle And Dietary Modification

Let’s face it, all the fancy remedies in the world are likely to just disappoint you if other aspects of your life are still crappy. This would include eating a diet that is highly artificial, loaded with preservatives and sugars, alcohol and foods that are borderline pro-inflammatory.

If you are guilty of not eating as well as you should, and indulging in one too many pastimes, especially at the cost of quality sleep, what you’re looking at right there is a strong contributor to the frequency of headaches you experience.

Try to get things in order – prioritize healthy foods and sleep above all else. A dedicated effort for just 12 weeks would indicate if it’s all been fruitful for you.

Summary

If you can say that you have diligently focused on improving your nutrition, overall lifestyle and have tried many of the most popular remedies and are yet to observe any amount of relief, it may be time to consult your physician. You should not suffer unwittingly trying to take care of it by yourself, since that’s the reason medical professionals are there.

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